It's Good To Be Yellow!

The light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye is the retina. The very center of the retina (and the center of your visual field) is called the macula.

All of our 20/20 acuity is confined to the macular region, which is a very small part of the overall retinal area. Most of our vision is peripheral vision, which is 20/200-type acuity. We detect movement and larger objects with our peripheral vision, then point our macula at the movement or object to see it clearly. The macula is the most important part of the retina.

We all have two yellow pigments in our macular regions – Lutein & Zeaxanthin. These two yellow pigments act passively as an internal sunscreen, protecting the macula from UV radiation, and act actively as antioxidants, protecting the retina from oxidative stress from the blood.

We want to have high levels of yellow pigment in the macula. We get these yellow pigments from our diet. Foods such as kale, broccoli, spinach, collard greens, and mustard greens (green leafy vegetables) are high in yellow pigment. Other foods, such as whole eggs and corn, are also good sources.

At my Ann Arbor office, we now offer Macular Pigment Optical Density (MPOD) testing. This test is quick and easy to administer, and the results are immediately available for the doctor to analyze and discuss with you. Patients who have a low yellow pigment density are educated and counseled on nutrition (both food sources and supplements if indicated) and lifestyle changes (such as smoking cessation) that can increase a patient’s yellow pigment density in the macula.

The next time you go to see your optometrist for your eye care, ask your optometrist if they know why “it’s good to be yellow”!

Steven Lutz, OD
Serving Ann Arbor, Saline, Ypsilanti, Pinckney, Milan, Dexter, Chelsea, Brighton, Howell, Whitmore Lake and surrounding areas since 1988.